Fire-escape.



J. A. GROVE. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION I'ILED JUNE so. 1908.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

lvunutoz sonny aenovn, or BLUFFTOIN, momma.

. FIRE-ESCAPE;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31,1909.-

jAppIication filed June 30, 1908. Serial No. 441,111.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, JOHN A. Gnovn, citizen of the United States, residing at Bluffton, in the county of Wells and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain newand useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inthat class of fire escapes that embody a cable or rope of wire, or the like and a hand protector designed to be gripped by the operator and slidingly mounted upon the cable, said hand protector being provided with a pivoted jaw adapted provided with an improved construction and arrangement of brake device so that the descent may be gradual and without jerks and at all times under the control of the operator. l

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the "invention, reference is to be had to the following description, and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a fire escape constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View.

through the hand protector, part of the same being broken away; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the section being approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5is a similar View 011 the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Broadly considered, my invention com prises a preferably .wire cable which will not be affected by heat, and a hand protector slidingly mounted thereon.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a cable that is provided at one end with a snap. hook 2 so that it may be secured around a bed post, or the like within a room, and provided at its other end with a weight 3 so that when the cable is flung from a window, it will quickly uncoil to the ground without kinks. My improved hand protector comprises a main member 4 which is provided at its upper end with a head 5 and which is formed with a curved longitudinal edge 6 forming a finger grip for the right hand of the operator and merging into a handle which projects outwardly from the -main member 4 at substantially right angles thereto, as clearly illustrated in Fig.1 and which is designed to be grasped by the left hand of the operator. The head 5 is formed with a tortuous channel 8 (see Fig. 2) and with a socket or' recess 9 in which the pivoted jaw 10 is mounted. This jaw is formed with a downwardly projecting handle 11. and is designed tobe operated by the palm of the thumb of the operators hand, the fingers extending around the surface 6 as indicated in Fig. 1. The pivoted jaw 10 is formed onone edge with a longitudinally disposed wear piece 12 which may be composed of any desired metal or combination of metals, and which is designed to coact with a wear plate 13 secured to the main member 4 at the lower end of the wear plate and projecting upwardly, the upper end of the wear plate bcing preferably free. Preferably also, the wear plate 13 is formed with a longitudinal groove or depression 14, and the wear piece 12 is similarly provided with a groove so as to form proper guides for the cable 1.. Themain member 4 is formed with a recess 4 back of the wear plate 18 and near the saidplate springs are disposed in said recess back of the wear plate 13 so as to constitute therewith a cushioned brake surface which, in the operation of the device will avoid any jerky movement when the device grips the cable to stop the descent, and is again loosened to permit a further descent.

The main member 4 is provided at its lower end with a laterally enlarged foot 16, said foot being formed with two vertically disposed openings 1'7 and18, the opening 18 being substantially in longitudinal alinement with the handle 7 the opening 19 extending obliquely as shown and opening at its upper end at what might be termed the rear side ot' the main member, as best lllu'strated 1nl igs. 2 and 5.

around some stationary object in the room from which the operator deslres to escape, by means of the snap hook 2, andtheweight 3 isflung out of the window so as topermit thecable' 1 toquickly reach the ground, the Weight tending to prevent any kinking of the cable; It is tobe" understood, as best seen in Fig. 1, that, the cable extends downwardly through the throat S of the head 5 between the wear plate 13 and the wear piece 12, and passes downwardly through the opening 17 asuiticient distance to form a loop 20, the cable thence passing upwardly through theopenings 1'8] and 19 and coiled forwardly one or more times around the handle 7 according to the weight of the person using the apparatus. The loop 20 is then thrown over the operators head so as to form a seat for the operator or if desired, the operator may stand with one or bothfeet in the 10013 20 withthe left hand" grasping the handle 7 and pressing against the coil 'or coils 21 of v the cable while the right hand grasps the pivoted jaw 10 and presses the same against the cable and the cushioned brake surface constituted by the wear plate '13 and the spring or springs 15' back of the same. By arranging the cablewith the loop 20 and the one or more coils 21, it is. obvious that the operatofis left hand may also be used to assist in producing the proper braking action so that the strain 1s divided, and is not all imposed upon the pivotedyjaw 10, nor

upona single point ofthe cable, hence the speed of the descent may be regulated and kept under control'at all times'by the pres sure of theoperators hand upon the pivoted jaw 10 and the coil or coils 21 around the handle? By theprovision of the'cushioned wearplate13, all" jerky motion in stopping and starting is prevented. The undulating channel or throatS in the head 5 also assists in 'insurin g a gradual descent, as it prevents the too free movement of the hand protector on the cable and enables the operator to maintain-better control of theidevice.

By the provision of the loop" below the ,hand protector, in which the operator rides in escaping from a burningbuilding, it is obvious that theweight of his body is not.

supported by his arms, and his feet and legs may be free for use 1n avoiding slldmg or rubbing along the Wall, or he may use his feet to avoid any projecting parts that might otherwise interferewith the descent, with outllosin any control 011 the hand protector.

In the practical use of my improved fire escape apparatus, the cable 1 is secured Furthermore, by this means, the party escaping may swing himself around any windows out otwhich flames might be issuing. Even though the cable itself might, in some 1nstances, be too short for the operator to reach the ground, by its use it is obvious that he" may descend iuitil the entire cable has been pa d out, and remain sittlng 1n the loop until rescued.

.Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed asnew is:

' 1. A fire escape apparatus, comprising able, 2. hand protector through which said cable extends,the hand protector'being slid ingly mounted on the cable and provided with apivoted jaw, the cablebeing. formed below thehand protector with a loop and the. hand protector being formed with an outstanding handle around which the cable is coiled above the looped portion thereof.

2. A fire escape apparatus comprising a cable, a hand protector provided with a pivoted jaw andtormed at its upper end with a throat through which the cable extends into engagement with said jaw, the hand protectorbeing also formed below the jaw with two vertically disposed openings throughfwhich the cable extends first downwardly and then upwardly respectively, the hand protector being also formed with an outstanding handle around which the cable is coiled. a 3. A fire escape apparatus, comprising a cable, and a hand protector slidingly mounted thereon and provided with a pivoted gripping jaw designed toengage the cable,

the hand protector being formed at its lower edge with two vertically dis i osed openings through which the cable extends downwardly and thence upwardly, the hand protector being also. formed with an obliquely disposedopening through which the upwardly extending, portion of the cable passes, and the. protector being also formed with an outstanding handle around which the cable is coiled above said last named opening.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand protector comprising a main member formedin its upper end with a curved throat, a aw connected to the upper end of said main member, a cushioned wear plate secured to the mainmember and designed to be engaged by saidv jaw, and a handle extend ng outwardly from said mam member.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand protector comprising a main member formed with an opening designed to provide for the passage of a cable therethrough, a pivoted jaw connected tosaid main member, the main member being formed with a recess in its side next to the jaw, a wear plate secured to said main member over said recess, and a spring mounted in said recess back of said plate.

6, In an apparatus of the character dewardly over said recess, and a spring in said 10 scribed, a hand protector comprising a main recess back of said wear plate, as and for member formed with an outstanding handle, the purpose set forth.

a jaw pivotally connected to said main mem- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature her, the main member being formed with a in presence of two witnesses. recess on its side next to the jaw, the jaw JOHN A. GROVE, [L. s.] being formed with a wear piece opposite Witnesses:

said recess, a wear plate secured at its lower NELLIE G. KAPP,

end to the main member, and extending upn A. B. LAOEY. 

